The Tampa Bay Rays have been very active this offseason, but there still remains plenty of work to do with their roster.
After trading second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three-year deal with the Houston Astros, there is a massive void at the keystone. There isn’t a clear-cut in-house option, which could lead to the Rays having to get creative in replacing him.
Adding to their lineup and upgrading the offense has been a need all offseason. Losing Lowe won’t help that, so adding more bats remains near the top of their to-do list. But another underrated need is on the mound.
With Adrian Houser signing a two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants and Shane Baz being traded to the Baltimore Orioles, there is a need on the mound in the starting rotation. Steven Matz was signed in free agency, but they need more than that.
Yankees predicted to sign Lucas Giolito in free agency
Sep 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field. | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Unfortunately for them, one of the players they have been named a good fit for previously this offseason, Lucas Giolito, has been predicted to land with one of their American League East rivals.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report has shared ideal landing spots and contract predictions for the top remaining free agents. The veteran right-handed pitcher came in at No. 10 on the list, with the New York Yankees being selected as his landing spot.
This is a prediction that Kelly has stuck with throughout the offseason. His original prediction was that Giolito would land a two-year, $43 million deal with a $20 million team option for the 2028 season.
A contract that could be worth $63 million would seem to be way outside of the budget for Tampa Bay. Thus far this winter, they have spent $7.5 million on outfielder Cedric Mullins, $3 million on Jake Fraley and $15 million on Matz with a two-year deal.
Lucas Giolito could be too expensive for Rays
Aug 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
For the 2026 campaign, they will make a combined $18 million. Committing $21.5 million annually on a single starting pitcher who has dealt with some injury concerns seems to be well outside the franchise’s budget.
Giolito had a strong 2025 campaign with the Boston Red Sox. He made 26 starts with a 3.41 ERA across 145 innings with 121 strikeouts.
A one-time All-Star in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, the Rays look more likely to give one of their young guys a shot or shop on lower tiers in free agency than committing a multi-year deal to Giolito.
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